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Edag develops concept car with textile outer skin panel

03 Jan '15

2 min read

A concept car, the ‘Edag Light Cocoon’ is a complete, bionically optimised vehicle structure combined with a weatherproof textile outer skin panel.

“This marks a new dimension for lightweight construction and automobile aesthetics,” developers of the concept car," Edag says.

Also involved in this concept are outdoor specialists, Jack Wolfskin who provided their outdoor textile ‘Texapore Softshell’, which provides ideal weather protection for the Edag Light Cocoon.

Following the success of the Edag Genesis, engineering specialists Edag have expanded their vision of a bionically inspired body structure.

In order to be able to implement bionic construction principles and natural strategies, additive manufacturing potential has also been put to use in the Edag Light Cocoon.

"We are pursuing the vision of sustainability, as demonstrated by nature which are lightweight, efficient, and without any waste," explains Edag’s head designer, Johannes Barckmann.

He adds, "The result is that the Edag Light Cocoon presents a stable, branch-like load bearing structure from the 3D printer, which only uses material where it is absolutely necessary."

Instead of treating the body as a closed surface here, any material not actually needed for the special load cases was removed.

Edag’s simulation experts carried out static and dynamic calculations for the basics of this topologically optimised ideal structure, which helped to confirm its suitability as a potential lightweight concept.

Edag designers took a leaf as their inspiration for the ultimate and lightweight outer skin.

Just as with a leaf, which has an ideal structure with a lightweight outer skin stretched over it, a textile skin covers the car.

Jack Wolfskin supplied a tried and tested stretch fabric that is also extremely weatherproof, to serve as the new outer body skin.

Weighing no more than 19 g/m², the Jack Wolfskin material supports maximum lightweight design requirements with minimum weight.

This extremely strong material is four times lighter than standard copier paper," Edag CTO, Jörg Ohlsen notes.

He adds, "Combined with the topologically optimised, additively manufactured structure, it offers enormous potential and stimulus for the ultimate lightweight construction of the future." (AR)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India